Office of the Recorder of Deeds

Barb Frasca
Recorder of Deeds

Duties

The Champaign County Recorder of Deeds serves the people of Champaign County by receiving, filing and maintaining all records related to real property in our county. These documents range from all types of conveyance deeds, mortgages, releases and assignments, property liens, as well as, assorted federal, state and local liens. The Recorder’s office is responsible for the recordation and storage of plats of subdivision, land surveys and monument records. Many other types of miscellaneous documents are recorded, such as; foreign birth certificates, foreign marriage licenses, and military discharge paperwork to name a few.

County Recorder’s of Deeds are an integral part of property ownership. The foundation of what was to become the Recorder’s office was laid in 1215 A.D. with the signing of the Magna Carta which provided for state protection of land ownership. The Champaign County Recorder’s office retains records dating to the founding of the county in 1833.

The Champaign County Recorder of Deed’s primary responsibility has not changed since that time. Our goal now, as it was in the past, is the accurate and timely indexing and maintenance of documents reflecting chain of title to land within Champaign County.

A walking tour of our office is a chronological history not only of Champaign County property, but of technology itself. The records held within our “vault” showcase the latest and best means of record keeping within any given time frame in our history. Records painstakingly stored within large leather bound books filled with the flowing and often poetic language of our forefather’s forefather’s.  Books documenting the original government tracts laid out throughout the state, military discharge papers dating to the civil war and following a path through history in both times of peace, as well as, conflict. Records precisely documenting ownership of prized stallions are still found within our office.

The last property records recorded within books was in 1975. Due to space restrictions property records after that date are stored as microfiche records. Computer indexing of records began in 1975 and the year 1991 saw Champaign County as one of the first counties in the state to begin storage of property records digitally as images on the computer. Images are still stored electronically and available for immediate viewing within our office. February 2004, saw the advent of internet availability of document indexing and imaging.

Serving you remains my primary mission as Champaign County Recorder. I am committed to the protection and preservation of the records governing the ownership of all land within out county. I look forward to continually improving the Recorder’s office to better serve your needs.

Mission Statement

The accurate and efficient recording and indexing of land records and miscellaneous documents within Champaign County. To provide prompt and courteous service, as well as, a helping hand whenever needed.